“Human Weapon” is a new show that debuted this summer on the History Channel that deals with martial arts as practiced in different countries around the world. It is hosted by Jason Chambers who is a Total Fighting Challenge Welterweight Champion, and Bill Duff who was a pro football player, bodyguard, wrestler, and stunt double. He also has a brown belt in Korean Street Fighting, and is a two-time heavyweight state champion wrestler. Together, these two guys go to different countries and learn their different form of martial arts, train in them, and then later take those skills into a fight with those who have trained in the specific martial arts for years.
What’s especially good about this show is that it is not just about the best ways to kick someone’s ass. It is really about how martial arts have evolved over centuries, and it really stresses how they work more on the mind instead of just the body. Martial arts are a very positive exercise on the mind as you learn balance, concentration, and focus. All of these help to build self-esteem not just in a competition, but in life in general. See “The Karate Kid” if you don’t believe that.
Two episodes from the show really stand out here. One is on Eskrima which is indigenous to the Philippines, and is mostly a weapons-based fighting style that combines punches, kicks, takedowns, and joint lock techniques with stick and sword or knife fighting techniques. Here, the guys get an ego check as they are told by one of masters of this style that this is a fighting studio, not a dancing studio. Through this episode, they learn the importance of balance not just in fighting, but in the mind as well. Through exercises and meditation, they show that there is more to the martial arts than fighting and tournaments.
The other standout episode here is on Muay Thai, or Thai Boxing. Known as the “Science of Eight Limbs” as it deals with legs, knees, elbows and hands, it is one of the most uniquely dangerous forms of martial arts. New rules had to be introduced to reduce the high number of deaths in the ring from this sport. We even see one person literally get knocked out which is a horrifying sight that we only see in the movies most of the time. There are moves here that are banned in all American boxing matches, as they could possibly be fatal.
“Human Weapon” is a great education in different kinds of martial arts that you can find around this country. It is a real education in each form it explores, and how each art differs from the other. Many of us are so used to seeing all sorts of martial arts movies from people like Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris that we see this art from a rather one-dimensional point of view, but there is more to karate as we know it than meets the eye. Martial arts takes on many different forms, and the show is excellent in showing these forms differ from one another.
The two hosts of the show, Jason Chambers and Bill Duff, take their time and go to many different places to learn each martial art and discover its history. Each episode ends with one or both of the hosts engaging in a fight of the arts against opponents, many of who have been trained in their specific fields from the age of six and beyond. For the most part, these guys are held at a disadvantage. Although very well trained in their fields, they are forced to learn a new form in a very limited time, and the odds are usually against them. The fact that either of them does as well as possible is amazing.
Of both the hosts, Jason seems to be the most athletically fit and more agile of the two, so it’s not surprise that he is usually the one who participates in the fights. He has speed and technique on his side. Bill Duff is a big guy to say the least, and he usually talks a big game, but through him we learn that size can mean very little, and that bigger is not necessarily better. But both are engaging people and manage to take their work in the martial arts very seriously, while not taking themselves all that seriously. They are each able to laugh at themselves quite a bit, and they both know that they are getting into a situation which neither of them can ever be fully prepared for, regardless of the years of training that they have.
This is especially true in the Muay Thai episode where it goes through just how dangerous and deadly this particular art can be. We see people who have been trained from such a tender age, and we know these two guys are in for a world of trouble and pain. It is to their credit that neither is ashamed to admit it. Eventually, they have to admit that in some episodes, they are in over their heads.
Human Weapon” is one of the best shows to come out this summer on any network, and it manages to be both educational and entertaining at the same time. It is on The History Channel on Friday nights at 10 PM. Be sure to go to the show’s website at www.history.com, and you can even purchase episodes of the show there as well. It is highly recommended.
